


The Justice Trick

by Zappy



Series: Mila Verse [15]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 04:53:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11223729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zappy/pseuds/Zappy
Summary: Odo observes Mila observing others after the school is shut down.





	The Justice Trick

Odo had seen more of the young Bashir these past few weeks. Well, seen in that he noticed her watching everyone from what most solids would consider a polite distance away. Ever since the school on the station had been shut down and the young halfling had turned 7 standard years old, she had begun doing what Doctor Bashir termed “shadowing”.

It seemed Cardassian children knew what they were going to do with their life from a young age, more often than not their parent career. As Mila Bashir’s situation was… _unique_ …she did not have such rigid choices. For all that she spent a lot of time with Garak, her father-on-paper-only, she certainly wasn’t learning _tailoring_. And despite the fact that female Cardassians dominated the sciences she seemed to have little interest in picking up the medical profession like her adoptive father.

A few times Odo had seen or heard of Mila trailing after the Major, which did not surprise him at all. But due to the Major’s workload, Mila could not do it long without getting in the way and was often retrieved by the babysitter she had managed to sneak away from to “shadow”. Odo assumed this was possible because of Garak’s teachings, but as it’d yet to cause trouble did not see a point in stepping in.

The first time Odo noticed Mila observing _him_ was when he was intimidating Quark just to remind the Ferengi he could. How she’d managed to remain undetected in a crowded bar was a mystery, and one he felt he should rectify before something happened to the young girl.

“Miss Bashir, just what do you think you’re doing here?” Odo asked gravely as he towered above the seven year old who had been hiding behind Morn. Morn himself looked completely shocked to realize she was there and jumped out of his chair.

“Learning.” The girl answered calmly, her brown eyes looking up at him as if this was obvious and did not need elaborating on.

“Learning what, exactly?” Odo huffed, trying to hide his amusement so she wouldn’t get the impression this was acceptable behavior.

“Justice.” That brought him up short and Odo had to contain his surprise to a single blink. Slowly he crouched down so he was no longer towering above her.

“Justice, is it. And how are you doing that, Miss Bashir?”

Mila adopted the pose Odo himself had when he’d been speaking with Quark the moment before. “You know justice best, Uncle Odo! I want to help.”

He huffed as was expected when she called him that. However, slowly a small smile spread across his face. “This station _could_ use more justice.” He replied with humor in his tone. She positively lit up like a new star. Getting his amusement under control, Odo nodded and stood again, putting his arms behind his back. He watched as Mila copied him.

“Come along then, Miss Bashir. Better start patrolling the Promenade.” He waited until she was following him before he continued, “And perhaps we’ll run into young Mister Sisko, who I’m sure was supposed to be watching you.”

He didn’t have to look to know she’d dropped her posture into one of petulance. “Awww. But he always has that dabo girl over…”

_Interesting_. Doctor Bashir would probably want to know that, as would the Commander… Well…it wouldn’t hurt to have a small orange shadow for a while. “Very well, but once your father’s shift is over I’ll be sending you back home.”

“Yes, sir, Uncle Constable!” Mila declared happily, getting back into the stance Odo was using as they walked. Odo shook his head gently and huffed, sure he was likely going to regret this later.

He decided it was all completely worth it when he first heard Mila mimic his voice near perfectly to scare Quark into jumping five feet in the air.


End file.
